Dear X

Disaster

Honestly, the only reason I stuck with the show was to see her finally face consequences in the end. The ending wasn’t that terrible, but definitely not what I wanted or expected. The start was strong, but I was least interested in her journey. Sure, her character was unique and acted well, but I kept hoping she’d finally fall into someone’s trap or get manipulated for once. I still don’t get why everyone keeps helping her and feeling sorry for her.
Jun-seo’s character felt a bit underdeveloped. And the actor — whether it’s Penthouse, Shooting Stars, or this show — he just gives similar vibes every time. Even if the characters are written differently, his acting always feels the same.
Looks like there might be another season coming, but I’m not looking forward to it.

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Watch to meet a group of Psychopaths

This series is a frustrating mess of unnecessary drama and disturbing, poorly-written characters. The plot suffers from relentless dragging, simply placing the Female Lead (FL) into one escalating predicament after another, only for her to predictably "overcome" and "destroy" her enemies.

The most egregious flaw is the alarming number of characters who are arguably psychopathic or severely disturbed. Characters Who Are Utterly Reprehensible:

1. The Mother: An abusive figure who physically assaults her own 5-year-old daughter.
2. The Father: A man without a backbone who not only fails to stop his abusive wife but later marries a new woman and actively plots to sell his own daughter.
3. The Coworkers & Classmates: The series is saturated with relentless, one-dimensional bullies, both during her school years and in the workplace.
4. The Husband: Perhaps the most terrifying of all—a genuine psycho who resorts to drugging the FL.
5. The Male Lead (ML)'s Mother: An utterly insane and deplorable character. Her presence adds nothing but unhinged toxicity.
6. The ML's behavior is frustratingly inconsistent: he acts like a confused jerk who clearly knows the FL's father intends to sell or kill her, yet he is too much of a coward to take action, making Jaeho's death meaningless by not destroying Do Hyeok and instead assuming the FL is the manipulator. Unbelievably, he has learned nothing from the video of his Grandmother's death, culminating in the psycho move of trying to kill the FL himself.
7. The Female Lead's motivation is unclear. While she claims she wants a normal life, she had the perfect opportunity to achieve it with Ingang. Her decision to dump him seems inconsistent with her stated goals, leading to a portrayal where she always defaults to playing the victim.
8. Police Officer
9. Ingang and his band friend stupid story.
10. Teacher affair

Plot Points That Fail to Land:
Ingang's Suicide: The portrayal and justification for this suicide felt completely hollow and unjustified by the narrative.
The Supposed Supporter: The person who is ostensibly meant to be the FL's ally ends up destroying her for an unclear reason. His question about asking her to "stop" makes no sense in context, and his character arc is reduced to that of a perpetual crybaby. (And his plan to commit suicide and murder FL is absurd nonsensical)

Conclusion: The series is built on a foundation of cruel and nonsensical character actions, making it an emotionally exhausting and ultimately pointless watch. Do not waste your time.

PS: Not expecting a happy ending , however its need not to be pathetic.

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Dear X: Fun Start, Wtf Ending

Dear X starts off fun and chaotic, with a strong trio of characters that make the story engaging and enjoyable. For most of the drama, I kept my rating between 8 and 8.5 because the characters were well-written and the interactions kept the energy alive, even when some plot points didn’t fully make sense. However, around episodes 9 and 10, the story began to drift. The pacing felt uneven, and the plot introduced ideas that weren’t fully developed. Then, the final episodes completely change the tone. The deaths of the two male leads were abrupt and lacked narrative weight, while the female lead’s survival left no real closure. The ending feels open, confusing, and disconnected from the buildup, leaving me unsure of the intended message. Despite the messy ending, I still enjoyed much of the drama, especially the character dynamics and early episodes.

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Starts good, then the plot becomes a mess.

I did not read the webtoon, so this review is based solely on the drama.

TL;DR: the first 8 episodes make overall sense; the last 4 don’t, and they completely ruin the entire show.

They feel like a different drama was scotch-taped onto the original just to force extra tension into a story that already had plenty. Almost as if the writers thought: “We have the potential to improve the webtoon… so let’s throw that away and do something that has nothing to do with what we built so far.”

Episodes 1–8 were flawed but coherent. Up until episode 8, Baek Ah-Jin is still a despicable character, but the drama clearly shows signs of a redemption arc for her, while at the same time she has Yoon Joon-Soo as her moral compass (and feels like her only real affection, deep down), and Kim Jae-Oh who silently loves her and stays by her side.

But then, in episodes 9–12, everything falls apart.

Episode 9 introduces a brand-new character out of nowhere. I genuinely hoped he’d have a real narrative justification —someone wronged by Ah-Jin in the past, or connected to her dad... But no. He's one-dimensional and his only motivation is essentially: “I’m an evil psychopath and I enjoy driving my wives crazy.” That’s it.

Ah-Jin marries him just to keep her status. He drugs her. Then, to get rid of him, she pushes Jae-Oh into willingly getting himself killed by her husband’s gang and recording the whole scene just to be able to blackmail her husband. I hoped it was a ruse… but no. Jae-Oh is really dead.

Joon-Soo is devastated and begs her to stop but she shows no remorse whatsoever for Jae-Oh’s death (which is strange, considering that earlier in the drama she showed some emotional impact after her ex-boyfriend killed himself after she dumped him... but zero for Jae-Oh?).

Joon-Soo finally manages to stop her by trying not only to free her from her husband but also to break her cycle of revenge and self-destruction that was consuming her and everything around her... and then, out of nowhere, he drives off a cliff with her in the car. They both survive… and she leaves him there to die. This is supposed to be the only person she ever loved. And she abandons him, so... farewell, redemption arc! The end.

Narratively, none of this makes sense

- Ah-Jin’s character development is erased. Why build a redemption arc for 8 episodes only to annul it in the final four?

- Joon-Soo’s arc collapses. After spending the entire drama trying to get his life back but also saving her from her own destructive spiral (and from her husband as well), he suddenly does something completely out of character like driving off a cliff like there was no other choice?

- Poor Kim Jae-Oh’s purpose becomes tragic and pointless. Was his entire role just to sacrifice himself because he was emotionally bound to her?

- Moon Do Hyuk’s addition is baffling. Introducing a major antagonist in episode 9 of a 12-episode show (!), with zero build-up, makes those episodes feel like a completely different series.

- The chemistry between Ah-Jin and Joon-Soo goes nowhere. All that tension, affection and attraction… for what? For her to walk away while he’s barely alive in a wrecked car?

- The open ending feels meaningless. Unless they’re hoping for a second season (which is odd after ruining every character and killing off one -or maybe two- leads), the ending makes absolutely no sense, especially with the genre shift from melodramatic thriller to a very cheap soap-opera.

The only redeeming element is the acting.
Kim Yoo-Jung is phenomenal, easily the standout of the cast, and her chemistry with Kim Young-Dae is genuinely compelling. He delivers a nice performance in a role I didn’t expect from him.

Final verdict
From a narrative standpoint, the show is a mess.
Episodes 1–8 are acceptable, sometimes even engaging.
Episodes 9–12 are incoherent, rushed, and extremely disappointing. And because of that, it loses many stars.

Bummer.

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The mighty rise, the ruthless middle and the underwhelming fall !

This is one of those dramas that walks into your life, kicks the door open with an insane amount of flair and then tests every bit of patience you have in you. Once in a while, in drama land, we meet characters like Ah Jin, the femme fatale. What frustrated me here was that her deranged, iconic journey was thrilling to watch, yet the downfall she faced barely scratched the surface of what she deserved.

Let's start with Ah Jin. She has razor-sharp intelligence, survival instincts honed by manipulation and borderline cruelty and a personality carved out of neglect and trashy parenting. The drama tells us from the start that she doesn't have or feel emotions from the very first scene when little Ah Jin climbs that staircase in that rain soaked scene. Every episode peeled a layer of her and every layer was worse and shocking than the last.
I made my peace that she isn't your typical damsel in distress FL but she is the reason everyone else is distressed and I am weirdly okay with that. I have issues with how the writing went in the second half. They wanted her to be everything. From a tragic figure to a ruthless mastermind and also a victim but a perpetrator too.

I agree that all the adults in her life failed her by a big margin, and her dad had it coming, and she was able to get my narrative sympathy because of that, until there weren't outsiders involved who had nothing to do with her trauma. Acknowledging her backstory doesn't make her actions neutral. Her actions were just a trauma response or self-defence. She manipulates, calculates and then strikes. Indifference to one's emotions doesn't make anyone morally superior to malice. They both are equally dangerous.

The real flaw wasn’t that she lacked guilt or remorse because we are shown she is foreign to those emotions but the fact that even story never created an atmosphere where accountability truly existed was a bummer. No one I repeat no one...not the adults or not the system or not even the narrative tone, stepped up to challenge her choices. That missing pressure made the entire world around her feel oddly weightless and very convenient. It took the edge off for me.

Coming to the second half, where I was waiting for her downfall, damn it was disappointing. When it was her turn to reap what she sowed, I felt the universe was biased because the writing acted like society was the one being unreasonable. Initially, the flag of methodical psychotic chaos waved right over her head, and suddenly everyone bends itself into pretzels to validate her perspective?
I can go on and on about her writing 100 when she got 10, excluding her father, but moving on...

Ah Jin's biggest victims were Jae Oh and Jun Seo, the Mercury and Venus orbiting her blazing sun. A perfect example of how different kinds of brokennes attract the same sun.
Jun Seo was someone who mistakenly misunderstood devotion as the purpose of his life and destruction as destiny. We get to see his moments of conflict, where we know who Ah Jin is and what she is capable of but chooses to be blind when it comes to her. I am not surprised by his character arc in the latter half as I predicted it.
Out of all her pieces, Jae Oh's dedication was the only one whose kindness feels unmanufactured. He had a soft side to him and I feel he was one of the two who brought Ah Jin's soft side out even though it was for a second or maybe I over-analysed the scene.

Ah Jin's greatest strength is how well she knows people around her and her weakness is that she doesn't value them a bit. I do feel a little sad for the boys but it wasn't something that was unexpected. They knew it! We knew it!
Also, this was Ah Jin's world and somehow everyone just accommodated according to her wishes and plans. Sometimes by how she hatches a plan and manipulated them and sometimes because it had to that way because writing.

That said, the performance by everyone was outstanding. Especially Kim Yoo Jung. That dead-eyed stare with that smile is iconic! The shift between vulnerability and menace was done so consistently well. The child actor who played Ah-Jin was another gem. Kim Young Dae as Jun Seo was another hit. His cold demeanour and that nonchalance did the work here. Kim Do Hoon as Jae Oh was a fitting find too. We had some star-studded guest performances too.

The cinematography and production just elevated the drama. The shots were intentional and very poetically presented. Though the editing in the later half seemed a bit choppy but it is very ignorable. Money was spent on sets and costumes and it showed.

Overall, while the first half charmed me left and right, the second half was underwhelming or maybe I had a different kind of expectations. The ending didn't sit right with me plus the lack of narrative justice disappointed me.
Still, it was one of a kind ride. Messy, chaotic and addictive to an extent.
Will I recommend it? Depends on if you enjoy characters like Ah Jin and don't mind heavy dramas.

Everything said, I have to acknowledge that every character here, especially Ah Jin is open to multiple interpretations and maybe all of them are neither black nor white. I can see why someone would rate this drama high but also low ratings are as justified as the high ones.

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The perfect tragic villain

First off: this series isn’t your “normal” villain story. Baek A Jin is portrayed in a way that makes you, at times, want to pity her.
Careful though, they are not trying to make her the hero of this story. It is simply presented in a way that makes you occasionally find yourself rooting for her, because she is almost put into the role of a victim. That is very fitting, because in her world, she is the victim. She sees herself as the loser. At the same time, it is clearly shown that she is the villain , that she is evil and incapable of feeling compassion for anyone but herself. The series never excuses her actions, but it forces the viewer to sit with an uncomfortable question: how much empathy is too much when it comes to someone who causes real harm?

This is what I personally found most fascinating. The story is truly well written and executed. At times, you see her true self and can’t help but pity her: at other times, you are confronted with her completely psychopathic side, which sends shivers down your spine and makes you hate her. The series does an excellent job of playing with your emotions and actively evoking them. These conflicting feelings accompany you throughout the entire series. The pacing supports this emotional tension perfectly, allowing the story to breathe when it needs to and tightening when her true nature comes to the surface.

I can see how, for some people, this might feel too contradictory and therefore off-putting or even repellent. Personally, I really liked this aspect — it’s actually what made me like the series so much. What makes this series so compelling is not the question of whether Baek A Jin is evil, but how the story makes you emotionally engage with that evil.

These two clashing emotions, induced by the same character, are truly captivating. They show how complex human emotions are and that one feeling does not exclude the other. I also enjoyed this because it gave Baek A Jin real depth. Through this, she isn’t just a one-dimensional villain (though those can be fun as well), she is portrayed as a genuinely human character.
All the other aspects of the series were amazing too.

The acting was remarkable, all the actors did an outstanding job. The OST?! The sound design, loved it . The camerawork was superb as well.

Finally, I can only recommend this series to anyone who might be interested. Even after finishing the series, Baek A Jin stayed with me. Not because I sympathized with her, but because the story refuses to let you simplify her into something easy to forget. This is not a comfortable series, but it is a powerful one... it truly is one of the best series I have watched so far.

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Deliciously torturous and angsty : Baek A Jin is a predator you don't want to cross the line with !

This drama, full of angst and passion, is centred around Baek A Jin, cruel heroine, femme fatale using men as pieces of chess, beaten by life and that decided very early that people are tools to be used to elevate herself from her misery. As her journey unfold, full of unhealthy relationships and oozing toxicity, I couldn't help myself to be captivated and root for her until a breaking point. It was like watching a dangerous predator on top of the food chain, fighting all nails out but with a layer of charm and some cracks in the armor that even more entrapped me into her craziness. The main appeal to me was to see how she navigated her relationships as well as her place in the world : sometimes ascending and sometimes failing.

The story took my breath away at several point in time, there were real peak and valleys and it was impossible to look away from the magnetic female lead.There were some madness and brutality to the story that made it utterly fascinating. When the show ended, I felt exhausted having lived through a rollercoaster of emotions. Do I wish there had been a bit more time for the ending as well as even more room for some of my faves relationships? Certainly but I found this super satisfying and audacious.

The casting of this drama was really good. Acting was on point. Watching the performances, I cried, I was upset, I was happy, I even got the butterflies...and I also crashed hard. The three main roles (Kim You Jung, Kim Young Dae, Kim Do Hoon) did an incredible job at portraying their broken characters. From the get go, their triangular relationship felt twisted, full of thorns and manipulation...and therefore extremely interesting. In addition to the main characters, the support cast was excellent with some shining guest stars : Hwang In Youp (for whom I started the series), Kim Ji Hoon, Hong Jong Hyun and Jung Woo to name a few that really impressed me. Honestly, not sure how fair it is to consider them as guest roles given their importance depending on the arc.

The production value was really good, with some masterfull directing and striking visuals for some of the most brutal scenes. The dramatic scenes were properly filmed, and even if I think some of them could have been even more worked on, the intensity of the story felt properly translated for sure. I loved the OST, daunting (especially for the end generic) and very fitting for the series.

I would strongly recommend this to people that enjoy twisted tales featuring very dark character. If you are looking for fluffy and heart warming romance, this is not the drama for you. Neither if you are looking for a regular "heroic" revenge arc. This is not the point of the series. It is about manipulation, survival and I could not help myself to feel fascinated by the charming predator that is the heroine. As the male leads, I felt under her trap and until the end was properly enthralled by the drama. If you enjoy thriller, psychological titles, revenge series, this is an excellent pick !

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treat all the children kindly do not abused them love them as much you can.

if you hate this drama it mean you didn't understood what message they give us. you must have some kind of understand of society to like this kind of series. we are not living in a fairytale. all are different.

be kind to everyone do not hurt other with your words.all the main characters have trauma in their childhood because of their parents.

in our life have good and bad person.some people show as good personality to the world but they are wearing mask to hide their real character.sometimes evill person person win .
watch this drama.you can feel the pain.

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Here lies Dear X: Born Brilliant, Died Confused.

I’m going to be honest right from the start: Dear X is a drama that made me fall in love, get betrayed, and then sit alone in the ruins wondering how something so brilliant could implode so fast. If I could freeze this drama at episode 5, I’d be singing songs of its greatness from rooftops. But since we have to consider the full package, here’s my eulogy for a drama that could’ve been legendary, but ultimately forgot its own identity.

Let me start with the praise, because the one thing I will always give this drama is Kim Yoo-jung’s performance. She was outrageous in the best way. Truly phenomenal. She didn’t just play Baek Ah-jin, she inhabited her like she was slipping in and out of different skins. The way she could shift from a wounded girl to a calculating strategist to someone who looked you dead in the eyes with nothing but ice behind them? That was masterclass level. She made emotional masking look like a finely tuned instrument. Even when the script was disintegrating in later episodes, KYJ kept delivering like she didn’t get the memo that the writing team had gone on vacation. If there’s anything I will remember fondly from this drama, it’s her work.

And honestly, those first five episodes were some of the best early-arc sociopathic drama writing I’ve seen in a long time. Tight. Sharp. Precise. The tone was controlled, the character motivations were clear, and Ah-jin’s world was built with this fascinating blend of trauma-driven instincts and strategic manipulation. I loved watching her. I loved studying her. She was a beautifully crafted paradox , someone who looked like a monster but was really just a broken girl surviving with the only tools she had left. If the drama had kept its momentum, if it had trusted the spine it built in those early hours, we could’ve easily been talking about one of the best psychological thrillers of the year.

But then came episode 6, where the show basically walked out of its own body and said, “What if we try being… a different genre?” And from that point on, it felt like the drama lost its confidence. Like it suddenly became terrified of its own brilliance and started backpedaling into blandness. Instead of escalating Ah-jin’s complexity, the show deflated her. Instead of sharpening the stakes, it softened everything into mush. Episodes 6 and 7 were such a nosedive that I almost couldn’t believe it. The drama suddenly didn’t know what story it wanted to tell, survival, revenge, fame, romance, comedy? It tried to juggle everything, dropped everything, and then acted like nothing happened.

Let’s talk about that fake romance arc. My god. It was already flimsy as an idea, but they dragged it out so long that I started aging in real-time. It wasn’t even fun, or spicy, or necessary. It just… sat there. A limp fish of a plotline that drained all the tension out of the show every time it appeared. And worse, it completely cheapened Ah-jin. This character who was introduced as a tactical, emotionally guarded mastermind suddenly… what? Decides seduction is her new superpower? I’m sorry, but that’s not character growth, that’s character confusion. I went from watching someone who played psychological chess to someone who suddenly decided her whole arc was going to be Jessica Rabbit cosplay. The whiplash was real.

Then there’s the marriage arc with the psycho chaebol. I don’t even know what to do with that storyline. It felt like the writers wanted shock value, remembered they forgot to escalate anything for five episodes, and tossed in a new plotline like a last-minute seasoning packet. It was rushed, messy, and honestly beneath the potential the show had. There were moments, tiny glimmers, where I thought, “Oh, maybe they’re getting their soul back.” But nope. It immediately collapsed into nonsense again. It was like watching someone try to revive a plant by watering the plastic pot next to it.

And the ending? Don’t get me started. Absolute garbage. A deus ex machina disguised as plot armor disguised as “meaning.” Suddenly Ah-jin is immortal. Untouchable. Invincible. The laws of narrative gravity don’t apply to her anymore. All tension evaporates because the drama refuses to let consequences land. This isn’t clever writing. This is the storytelling equivalent of shrugging and hoping the audience won’t notice the holes big enough to park a bus.

Then we have the symbolism. Visually beautiful, yes. Symbolically meaningful? Absolutely not. Symbolism only works if the story establishes a visual vocabulary early on and then builds on it consistently. Dear X didn’t do that. Instead, it slapped symbolic imagery onto unrelated scenes in the final stretch and expected us to clap like seals. I’m sorry, but no. That’s not profound. That’s the writers setting the script on fire and pretending the ashes spell poetry. The audience isn’t confused because we “don’t get it.” We’re confused because the drama never taught us the language it suddenly expected us to speak.

So here’s my verdict: Dear X is a tragedy, not in its plot, but in its wasted potential. The first half of this drama is a masterpiece waiting to happen. The second half is a slow-motion collapse that left me emotionally drained in the worst way possible. This is a eulogy for the brilliance we glimpsed but were never allowed to fully have. And while KYJ gave one of her best performances ever, everything around her simply fell apart. By the end, I wasn’t even angry. I was just sad, exhausted, and ready to move on.

If you ever watch Dear X, stop at episode 5. Pretend the rest is fanfiction. Your heart will thank you.

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A (Semi) Deep Dive Into the Tale of Dear X

I rarely write reviews on here... but I will do for this drama because how much I genuinely enjoyed & liked it. Now that I've finished and mostly processed the finale/show, allow me to yap...

So, I pretty much loved this show. It was very dark, I'll say that right now. Darker than most dramas I've watched, and I watched all 3 seasons of Penthouse lol. The atmosphere was perfect. BUT! The cinematography, OST, and the acting? Amazing! That BGM kicked ass too! Also, Kim Yoo-Jung is now one of my favorite actresses... this is my first time seeing her as an adult. She made a seriously great impression on me. It's almost like she became Ah-Jin, and it was chilling to see. Kim Young-Dae surprised me as the brooding(?), but flawed and unlikable Jun-Seo... I was never a fan of his before, but his performance was great here. Kim Do-Hoon, who played the loyal but tragic Jae-Oh (RIP to him, he was a real ride-to-die...) I'm checking out more of his dramas. I already plan to watch Moving, because he blew me away here. Lee Yeol-Eum as Im (or is it Kim?) Lena... nothing much to say. She did a fine job. The supporting actors were all great too (it was nice to see Bae Soo-Bin again!)

The story and characters... I will admit, yes, I rooted for Ah-Jin because I love a villain origin story! Did she do terrible things? Absolutely. But I partially rooted for her out of spite, because some of the things people were saying here were wild. I love villain protagonists (YEAH, SHE'S A VILLAIN PROTAGONIST. SHE'S *EVIL!* SUCK IT UP!!!) in general. BUT she was my girl, her backstory with her parents (SCREW the dad) was so sad! It's toxic, it's complicated. Moving onto... Jun-Seo. This is a weird one, because I didn't like him, I found him to be hypocritical and selfish... but that reveal at the end... I didn't expect it. 👀 I'm still confused, though. was he the real villain of the story all along, or was it Ah-Jin? Really makes you think. Onto Jae-Oh... again, very tragic. I didn't like him at first, but when I actually got to know him, I felt so sorry for him! 😭 He didn't deserve any of what he went through, and his relationship with Ah-Jin was so fucked up. Wow, my heart is still broken for him. Lena, I don't have much of anything to say about her, I didn't care about her nor did I like her. I was relieved when she left. Bye, bitch! Love how complex the main/central characters were.

BEFORE I CONTINUE! Let me say right away, I didn't give a single DAMN ABOUT THE ROMANCE IN THIS SHOW. I did not ship Ah-Jin with Jun-Seo or Jae-Oh at all, not even when they were in high school. Jun-Seo had a massive savior complex and Jae-Oh was essentially in a symbiotic toxic friendship with her. I didn't even care about Lena's little crush on Jun-Seo, and even the relationship with In-Kang (that poor man...) and Ah-Jin felt somewhat out of place. (Yes, I know it was a part of Ah-Jin's plan, but still.)

Do-Hyuk... okay, while I think he was a great villain and I loved his slow introduction... he felt... kinda random? I was cool with him getting away with the awful stuff he did since it reflects real life (all too well), but... I think the issue is that he felt underdeveloped. Yes, and ended up being underwhelming. He drove his wife crazy, tormented Ah-Jin, and seems to be this total control freak, but... why? A backstory would've sufficed, a flashback, anything! Ah... the supporting characters. Sung-Hee? Got what she deserved, and I feel like there was no point to her character. And she reminded me too much of Ha Eun-Byul from Penthouse. Probably why I despised her lol, but In-Kang... another unfortunate casualty of Ah-Jin's ambition. Also didn't care for him. CEO Seo was fine. Ji-Sun- I HATE YOU BITCH! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU AND I HOPE YOU DIED IN THE FINALE FOR REAL! GO TO HELL!!!!! (Yes, the actress did an amazing job.) The grandmother is the only one I had some sympathy for, along with the baseball player (Mr. Choi.) I like that Mr. Choi ended up being one of the few decent people in the end.

Critiques? Some scenes honestly felt too drawn out to the point where it was awkward. Lots of staring, lots of silence, interesting shots. It was likely a stylistic choice, but it kinda hurt the pacing of the drama for me. This is common in k-dramas, though, so whatever. Second, Ah-Jin being tormented by Do-Hyuk went... nowhere? It was beyond stressful to watch, yeah. I feel like she should've realized he was "toying with her", then faked being crazy and killed him "accidentally". Now that would've been WILD! Third, the final episode... I'm still confused. Was Ah-Jin really a sociopath or not? Was it all through Jun-Seo's perspective? What was the point of the documentary? Why did Jun-Seo pick up Ah-Jin when she went into the street? And why did Jun-Seo turn on her like that when he was enabling her all along? I loved the final scenes, though. I hope there's a season 2 that explains everything, or bonus/special episodes... something. (I also wish it wasn't a miniseries, but I can't complain.) I guess the ending being open-ended was fine, it's unconventional which is what I liked about it. Sometimes the best ending is a pyrrhic victory- getting what you want, but at the ultimate cost.

My rating... tricky. This is one of the best k-dramas I've watched in recent years. Of course, it's not perfect. But it was intense, I got hooked onto it, and I loved Ah-Jin and her ruthless climb to the top. Nailed it as a psychological thriller. So I'm giving this a 9/10. Would I rewatch this? Uh... probably not. Some parts were definitely heavy for me, I had to either skip it or look away lmao, but this was a great drama. And impressive for my first webtoon-turned-k-drama (which I've never been into/liked, personally.)

Thank you to SunOh and a few commenters on here for recommending it to me and pushing me to start it- glad I fell for the hype!

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